IDOLIZED

 

IDOLIZED

  

Spring festival evokes time visible,

Corona diminished a relief to the heart,

Flood played havoc, disappeared,

Unseasonal rains threaten, pouring,

Inundates, ripen grain fields a  worry,

Overall mirth present season thrilled,

Earth wears colorful blossoms canopy,

Valley, meadows showing happiness,

Wildflowers in profusions fragrant,

Fields gray, painted by now deep green,

Velvety carpet moist early morning,

Shining glory dews glisten in the sunlight,

Hints fragrant early morning auspicious,

Colored earthen idol decorated scented,

The last touch of brush with paint trying,

Giving life to Mother's eye looking intense,

Humanity believed her Goddess supreme,

Mother nature symbolizes her presence,

Mother earth produces bountiful food,

Corns, grain, millet season witness,

Food for humans for the year is essential,

People worship her, their gratitude deeply,

Pity mother, you offer in ten hands,

A human can receive with two hands, prays,

Wants health, happiness, prosperity,

Begs security, peace in all houses,

Festive occasion noisy at every home,

Burning oil lamps, scented sticks,

An offering of food, fruits many neatly,

Hymns with devotions, prayer, prostrate,

Children, females, youth, and old alike sit,

Creates aspiration infinite before mother,

Nine days of sacred worship earnestly,

Crowded Goddess temple lighted,

A thousand lamps are burning bright,

Mother killed a demon, beast cruel,

Symbol, her child turns into a beast,

Powerful with lust, Mother killed him,

Switched my thought to my nature,

Mother watches in the heart of human,

She is the soul, life born in her womb,

Compared to universal motherhood same,

She is the human character, kills lust,

Trident, the self-discipline, destroys evil,

Third eyes on her forehead, knowledge,

Bestowed to each human as her child,

Wisdom, within every soul, illumines,

Symbolizes as lightening  white,

Dispels darkness means ignorance,

Her grace humans become realized,

Conquers death,  the deathless soul exists,

Least fearful of death, of mortal frame,

No more attachment, importance to a face,

Name, status, address, relation little,

Discovers realized soul mother nature,

She is present in trees, animals, birds,

Present in wind, water, soil, fire, space,

Each sustains life in subtle nourishing,

Worshipping nature preserves essential,

Idolize hill, river, valley, forest, reality,

Preserve mother nature for existence,

Idolize own mother, motherland,

Pay respect to  the womb of  the mother,

Nine months stay, nine days of  worship,

Nine days is human life, graces land,

Her air, water, earth, fire, and energy provided

Mortal frames merge with soil, idolized.

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

EMPTINESS

 

EMPTINESS

 

Nostalgic feeling at the beach,

In front of  blue sea waves in foam,

White foams spreading wet sand,

Returns water back to sea again,

Childhood to twilight years a span,

Never could count waves approach,

Dry sand bed golden extends long,

Preferred the isolated place squatted,

Looked at the horizon, blue sky merging,

As if mortal limbs my mind matching,

Sand beach long never could measure,

Little can say, how much walked,

Life behind traveled on earth saw,

Lives matching oceanic creatures,

Innumerable spirits, different shapes,

Countless behaviors failed to observe,

Found fearful like shark hunting,

Killing weaker lives stalks gaily,

Whale gigantic size fearless moves,

Wealthy n powerful, people replicate,

Attached colony of fish to a whale,

Life of laborers attached to the rich,

Watched countries, size differ well,

Colonies of marine creatures vary,

Confects  underneath water surface,

Invisible dimensions world creates,

Shied life passed, was thinking  here,

Consciousness the beach aroused,

Phenomenon complex intricate in fact,

Entwined spider net life manifest,

Closed eyes felt a gentle breeze blowing,

Whispering if  the secrecy of life created,

Born on earth must die, certain,

Wiped-out civilizations reappeared,

Countless cycles of manifestations,

I was smiling at the waves rising,

At zenith, haughty,  fang of a snake,

Disappear ferocity of approaching,

Etched on the beach, I love my life,

Sea erased my writing on sands  soon,

Sat quietly thought again,

How many friends have departed,

Thank Lord, still am breathing well,

 A seed planted on soil grew bigger,

Foliaged long back had fruit nicely,

Fulfilled propagation so as me,

Laughed with wind salty soaking,

Wet limbs remembered youth,

Like shivering leaves murmuring,

Started singing, humming tuneless,

Life was how similar to my song,

Saturated with fragrance smelling,

Foul smell life had spread behavior,

Like thorns in rose-plant  hurt many,

Mere a word my tongue spelled havoc,

Ruined heart of honey bee unnoticed,

Mesmerized in  the setting sun orange,

Return home whole day passed alone,

The sun bright sank, darkness spread,

Cool shade my life provided to many,

Incessant roaring waves were indistinct,

Eventful busy was my life felt silent,

Who was following me, I did not know,

Saw Cane grass was singing for her,

Invisible mother has arrived in spring,

Earth invites her in a bridal dress,

Spring visited my life and greeted her,

Felt an emptiness in me, surprised,

Emptiness merged with her presence.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

JAGGERY

 

JAGGERY

 

 

It was my childhood wildness,

Uncontrolled mind in mischief,

Slipped out of the home play at fields,

A group of boys ran for sugar cane,

Long stems leafy fields near village,

Beneath a cauldron, firewood burning,

Juices of sugarcane boiling hot,

Brown thick liquids decanted into a pot,

Iron flatbed pot getting full condensed,

Peasants were preparing molasses,

Pour into flat-bottom iron pots in rows,

Jaggery prepared from molasses solid,

Beg for small pieces return home,

Farmers smiling offer us handfuls,

Remember I share with my sister,

She was the eldest child of our parents,

Ten years older than me, loving,

I was in school, she attended college,

Our friendship was closest, bond sweet,

I was loving and obeyed her only,

Hoodwinked mom, feared dad,

Sister was my home teacher best,

Taught my homework on the table,

I shared jaggery pieces she stored,

Answered correctly, jaggery piece, bonus,

My good result was due to her effort,

She washed my clothes, ironed,

Polished my boots every day,

Combed my hair notebook in my bag,

In order arranged with book n pen,

Pencil pointed, rubber, geometry box,

I passed first division in school,

Sister gave me a jaggery piece saved,

Parents never could know our secret,

I joined the  college, walked together,

Sister was helping mom with cooking,

Washing dad's dress was ironing,

She was keeping house expenses,

With dad marketed for vegetables,

Purchased monthly groceries, listing,

Less knew she was managing our home,

Apple eyes of Dad, mom depending,

She was pivotal in our life, caring,

Her immaculate attention to all,

Served Dad when sick his medicine,

She was our doctor, nurse, watchful,

Consult with a doctor to buy medicine,

Parents handed over responsibility,

Bed news one day I heard, surprised,

Sister was crying silently alone,

Astonished, never saw her crying,

I hugged her tightly and enquired,

I sobbed, and she closed my mouth,

Confided with me she  was marrying,

 The parent fixed her marriage date,

Without consulting her chosen bridegroom,

An engineer abroad dad finalized,

She cherished the day, her degree,

Expecting gold medal best graduate,

Her dream was to be an administrator,

Decades after we both kept our bond,

Secret her agony cherished dream,

I fulfilled her wish, became one,

From overseas got a packet of jaggery,

A daughter for dad kept him happy.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

RELINQUISH

 

RELINQUISH

 

Telling you dear daughter stories,

Sought grace of Lord as the father,

Only one in life I dreamed acutely,

Chamber innermost of heart locked,

Reverently begged  the stone idol,

Never asked for a good result, career,

Little asked for luxury, wealth, home,

Believed it all came in life in time,

One by one, after marriage, arranged,

A job in metros, house, rest happened,

Everything as a couple felt dreamy,

Materialized in due course by effort,

Savings magic wand checked instinct,

Festive seasons lighted shopping malls,

Our passions checked,  dearest child,

Looked hungrily at  cosmetic goods,

Dress, utensils, gadgets, ornament,

Gold jewelry, mother's intentions,

Saved tours in vacation, tourist places,

Disbelieved our savings crossed million,

Husband n wife laughed a lot, what to do,

Answered my wife for children, I pinched,

How many, dear, you wish in the womb,

Her answer was a son, found I silent,

She ran after me; I never told her,

A hidden desire for a daughter, my secret,

Less believed God provides but prayed,

Son and daughter were both fulfilled,

You arrived first,  your brother next,

Your talent was visible in the school,

Silent, sober, decent demeanor loving,

Beautiful a flower blossomed in time,

Dignified personality after university,

A friend closest in my life, you confided,

Marriage inter-caste, you confessed,

confided secretly, your marriage to me,

Mother knew, objected vehemently,

For weeks tried my best to console,

She was crying inconsolably, hurt,

Her generation-old custom pricked,

Marriage to be within Brahmin families

I left her sobbing till she emptied all,

All her anguishes spent fuel in tears,

Swollen eyes, silent utterly, I evaded,

I feared first in life, never saw agony,

She opened suitcases of silk saree,

Rare prints, costliest, eye-catching,

Purchased for you for wedding,

Showed me gold necklaces, earrings,

Gold bangles, bracelets with gems,

Ring for you with jewel dazzling,

No more she was crying,  she smiled,

Socked, disbelieved looks sparkling,

I know, dear husband, you love her,

Still, your breath is your daughter,

I used all our savings for gifts, marriage

Precious heart is your daughter, I know,

I wished to please you, bought for her,

These are bridal dresses for  my daughter,

I spent lifelong savings, no hesitation,

Relinquish all mother's responsibilities,

To conduct her marriage  is not needed,

Present to her these gifts from us.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

INGRESS

INGRESS

 

 

Bedazzle gradually unaware spirit,

Story generation back rural lives,

Born in upper cast childhood pretty,

Accompanied grandfather in evenings,

A small cottage on the village road ends,

Straw mattress mud walls painted,

A kerosene lamp on  a wooden desk,

Burning bright, lighting the book,

Wooden pedestal for a large book,

Cover red-cotton of the book tied.

Grandpa sits near the wall at a  height,

An elevated platform with a mattress,

Senior villagers, women elders,

Sit in a semi-dark room separated,

All sing with grandpa prayers first,

Silence covered with book worshipped,

Scented stick perfumed lit spread,

Quiet evening dark ingresses sanctity,

Silent people, I observed all,

Before us, they were looking calmly,

Mahabharata eighteen books to be read,

Started the first book, simple poems,

In the native language, simple stories,

Grandpa orates hymns lyrical sweetly,

I listen to stories intricate entwined,

There was suspense, thrill, pleasure,

One chapter of each book to be read,

Grandpa explained in simple,

The meeting used to be over in hours,

With lantern lit, we move home,

While sleeping heard the story again,

Grew up much later, recollecting  teenage,

Knew Mahabharata, Ramayana  well,

Myth for some, true philosophy,

Human life complex time is a spider,

Weaving nets trapped killed many,

Plays greed, anger, ego, and envy nicely,

Family trees generations widen long,

Grandson to great grandfather narrates,

Birth, childhood, education, marriage,

Narrated ancient aspirations, lust,

Kingdom, gold, horse, elephant, sword,

Arrows, battles, king won or defeated,

 The story describes generation-wise,

Ended eighteen books a royal race,

Kauravs, a race that prospered, fought,

Brothers, the war was the Mahabharata,

Time erased everybody, wiped the race,

The last king was bitten by a snake,

He died knowing forefathers fought,

Fought for an inch, died most,

Time wiped out the race of cowherd-boy,

Avatar, considered was killed,

Teaching  now a grandfather to kids,

Sat eagerly listening to my story,

Ingress clearly winkling, surprised,

Grandkids  were asking me the point,

Disbelief in their eyes was socked,

Grandpa, an inch of land war broke!

Calmly I was confirmed, yes dear,

It never could ingress for millennia,

Human races much wiped out,

Again and again, Mahabharata begins,

Different time, name,  and place happens,

Same was dear time erases all,

Claimant contester all get wiped out,

Land even an inch questions humans,

Eraser the time, a fact, ingress belies.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

 

  

OBSESSED

 

OBSESSED

 

 

Remember college, life, intense,

Youth colored the time, thrilled,

Curious heart seeking searched,

Searched things in life secretly,

Friends closing heart matching,

Study obsessions, a little disturbed,

Sneaking out of class to canteens,

Girlfriend trustworthy keeps notes,

Share class notes or questions willingly,

Hidden warmth, sweet understanding,

Liking and love, youthful intrigues,

Customs, disciplines, social misery,

Laughs swallowed, looks deflected,

Touch touchy matter illicitly desired,

Messages, in small papers, in notebooks,

Exchanged hundreds of times thirsty,

How much ridicule for friends taunting,

Their smiles were so irritating, placate,

Free sweets at canteens plead to ignore,

Discovered a friend in love and caught,

Book, notebook, exchanged while walking,

How many letters  were exchanged, unknown,

Graduation being completed exam near,

Stopped friend circle, picnic, park, cinema,

Hope colored young dreams result in reality,

An age, no mobile, telephone rare,

Confined to home, colleges closed, study,

Could never dare to meet a girlfriend,

Fear of elders for both, feeling lyrical,

Lost the fun of youth result day,

Cycled to friends, homes, gathered,

Waiting for newspaper lists published,

Divisions, honors, pass roll numbers,

Minutes, results were known, life crashed,

Close friends got failed, sad consoling a lot,

Another friend excelled, never expected,

Demands for sweets grew suddenly,

Shared passing results somberly happy,

Visited, colleges opened, boys and girls,

Mixed surreptitiously with girlfriends,

Exchanged result questions hundred,

Tomorrow is electric yet unknown,

Thousand promises to meet in the future,

Lines drawn on sifting sand obliterated,

The love-soaked night, infinite letters,

Melted into mists of dawn, hope sprouted,

University, friend circle changed,

Girlfriends, now distinct of caste, class,

Distancing with community ties,

Marriage, ambitions of career swinging,

Married, within own cast and status,

Settled by now, with service, children,

Obsessed with the life of kids young,

Online-study coaching class internet,

Books, question-answer sets digital,

Teachers taking online classes to interact,

Examination-online objective pages,

Virtual world life changes mode,

Attending technical colleges is costly,

Percentile decides edge competitive,

No one is seen who passed or failed,

Girlfriends from not college or school,

Mobile, cyber links unit strangers,

Lost the decency of our generation, shy,

Bold undesirable times of day message,

Meetings at every odd possible place,

Certainty sensitivity is missing,

Obsessed with virtual human life insensitive,

Misses the delicate soft human touch,

Visible from our generation pitiably.

 

  @ Bijayananda Mishra